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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26410918">I Love You Birdy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mashed_potato_with_cheese/pseuds/mashed_potato_with_cheese'>mashed_potato_with_cheese</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Following Their Footsteps [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Battle of Hogwarts, Blushing, Comfort, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Dolores Umbridge is Her Own Warning, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, Muggle/Wizard Relations, No Smut, Not Canon Compliant, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, bad timeline, minor friends to lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:15:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26410918</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mashed_potato_with_cheese/pseuds/mashed_potato_with_cheese</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lillian Adler is a sixth year at Hogwarts. She likes books, she's quiet, she's a Ravenclaw, and she attracts the attention of a certain Fred Weasley. Can they protect each other in a world quickly hurtling towards the Battle of Hogwarts?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Luna Lovegood/Original Female Character (minor)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Following Their Footsteps [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1969861</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Speak of The Devil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was inspired by a couple of fics.<br/>A Right Old Git by ardentmuse<br/>Butterbeerbeard by withering_snowflowers<br/>Not Like The Others by maevescene<br/>Fred Weasley fanfiction by Emis033</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The train station was bustling. Muggles hurried about, doing Merlin knows what. I gripped my mother’s hand a bit tighter. It was my sixth year at Hogwarts, but I’m always a bit nervous to leave home. By the way, I lived in a comfy little cottage in the English countryside. My family grew food and raised animals, and my dad ran a small shop where we sold our goods. I loved the little life we had there, but my parents insisted I learn to use my magic. My dad’s a Muggle actually, but he’s always been a bit odd, and he had no trouble accepting me and my Mom’s… abilities. </p><p>	Marguerite cooed quietly from my cart, snapping me from my thoughts. I got her my first year. I smiled, gently shushing her. My mom squeezed my hand gently.</p><p>	“Sixth year! Are you excited?” I nodded in what I hoped is a reassuring manner. We were quickly approaching Platform 9¾.  I checked my cart for the last time to make sure I had everything, then turned to my parents. We exchanged goodbyes and hugs. My parents love me, but they aren’t overly sentimental people. I turned and boarded the train. </p><p>	Despite my nerves, I couldn’t help but smile when Beatrix almost bowled me over with a hug. Beatrix Hart has been my best friend since first year. I helped her with her Potions homework, and we became fast friends. </p><p>	“Lillian! I missed you! The house was so boring with all of the boys, you know how they are. I swear your letters are all that kept me going. Come on, let’s find a cart.” Beatrix tugged my hand and led me down the long train. Several students waved as we passed. </p><p>	After a few compartments, Beatrix found one that suited her. She hadn’t stopped talking the entire way. I’m much less outgoing than she is, and I’m happy to let her do the talking. My summer wasn’t that interesting anyway. We plopped down on the velvety seats. The cart was empty, so thankfully there was plenty of room for our trunks. Marguerite cooed happily and ruffled her feathers. She loves Hogwarts. Beatrix looked at her, then suddenly reached into her bag. </p><p>	“Look what George bought for my birthday. His name is Arnold!” She pulled out a pink Pygmy Puff. I laughed and petted it with her, fawning over it. Our compartment door suddenly slid open, and I looked up. </p><p>	“Speak of the devil,” Beatrix muttered under her breath. Fred and George Weasley sat on the bench across from us. </p><p>	“Hey, Lillian!” Fred said cheerfully.</p><p>	“How was your summer?’ asked George. I shrugged.</p><p>	“It was okay. I spent most of it reading over our textbooks for this year,” I said with a small smile. Fred wrinkled his nose. </p><p>	“You spent your summer reading? Come on, you must have done something fun.”</p><p>	“Hey, at least I’ll understand the material. You guys will just stumble through like always.”</p><p>	“I guess you’ll have to tutor me then.” Fred winked. I blushed slightly and looked at my hands. Lee Johnson walked into our compartment and engaged the twins in conversation. I sighed in relief. Fred’s flirtatious manner made me uncomfortable.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. She Looks Good In Blue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	George and I pulled ourselves into Beatrix’s compartment. She was with Lillian as usual. They’ve been inseparable since first year. George was good friends with Beatrix, so we ended up spending time with them a lot. Lillian was much quieter. I always tried to engage her in conversation, but she usually said something vague and then closed up. She seemed more relaxed that day. I actually got a whole sentence out of her. As I was about to try again, Lee Johnson came crashing into the compartment and started up a conversation with George and Beatrix. I shot Lillian a half-smile and rolled my eyes. She giggled quietly. I decided that day to make her smile as much as I could that year. Her giggle was almost too good for this world. </p>
<p>	We arrived at Hogwarts in the evening, and Lillian came out of the bathroom in her Ravenclaw robes. She looks good in blue, I thought. I shook the thought from my head. There was no way Lillian would entertain the prospect of even being good friends with me, much less more. I had a slight crush on her since fourth year, but it wasn’t unbearable. I just… liked her. She was intriguing in an odd sort of way.</p>
<p>	We began to board the boats. I ended up in between George and Lillian. She shivered a little bit, and I had to resist the urge to put my arm around her. Not even in a romantic way, I just didn’t want her to be uncomfortable. As the boats made their way across the lake, I nudged her gently. She looked up, almost confused.</p>
<p>	“I betcha Gryffindor beats Ravenclaw in every Quidditch game this year.” I gave her another smile. The only time I’d seen Lillian look even vaguely competitive was during Quidditch. She was a chaser, and she was bloody good at it. She rolled her eyes. </p>
<p>	“In your dreams, Weasley.” She smiled back. I considered that a win. The boat rocked gently, and she bumped lightly into me. She smelled incredible, like lavender and book pages. I had to stop myself from leaning in closer. She looked upwards and a small smile crossed her face. When I tilted my head up with her, I only saw stars. </p>
<p>	“What are you looking at?” I asked softly. She turned her head towards me, fixing me in her blue-grey eyes.</p>
<p>	“The stars,” she said softly. “They’re so clear here. You can see thousands of them.” She turned her head back up to the stars. I could only look at her. Her hair fell and brushed her shoulders, softening her jawline. Her lips were curled into a smile, her eyes catching the starlight as she took in the universe around her. George caught me staring at her, and lightly punched me in the arm. That drew Lillian’s attention back down, and she smiled softly as George and I bantered back and forth. </p>
<p>	The boats docked and George and I got out first. Beatrix hopped off the boat, grabbing Lillian’s hand. Lillian slipped a bit getting off, and I instinctively put my arm around her waist. I found myself face-to-face with her, one arm wrapped around her. She was a head shorter, so she looked up at me. We were both breathing heavily. After a few seconds, she stepped away and tucked her hair behind her ears. </p>
<p>	“Um, thank you. Thanks,” she said quietly, a mad blush spreading across her face.</p>
<p>	“Oh, yeah, of course,” I said, equally sheepish. George looked between me and her, looking shocked. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards the castle. I looked back at Lillian, who was staring at me. She averted her eyes down quickly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. And Modest, Too</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	It was stupid. I hadn’t been looking where I was going, just distracted by the way Fred had been looking at me when I talked about the stars. The dock was slippery, and my foot had slid. All of a sudden I felt a strong arm around my waist, and I looked up to see none other than Fred Weasley looking into my face with concern. I was frozen briefly, my mind torn between confusion and liking the feeling of being held. Then I stepped back and muttered a thank you. He replied something I didn’t quite hear, and his brother pulled him away. Beatrix stared at me.</p><p>	“Oh. My. GOD! That was adorable! He just saved you. And did you see the way he was looking at you on the boat? I can’t believe it. Fred Weasley!”</p><p>	“Ok, ok, ok. Calm down. He was just being nice.” I could feel my cheeks burning. Beatrix huffed in exasperation and spent the walk up to the castle talking about how romantic the situation was. </p><p>	The Sorting and the opening banquet were great, as usual. I was happy to be back with the other Ravenclaws, the only people whom I felt truly understood me. We were the least rowdy house as we made our way to our Common Rooms. I felt giddiness rising in me as I walked to Ravenclaw Tower. The Grey Lady sat near the entrance, giving small nods to students as they walked by. Beatrix pulled me into the dorm we shared, and we found our schedules. </p><p>	“Ooh, Charms first thing. Oh, and we’ve got Herbology last. That means we won’t be all sweaty from the greenhouse through all of our classes,” I said happily. We talked about our schedules and our hopes for the year, and finally drifted into sleep.</p><p>	The morning light drifted into our dorm, and I woke up. I smiled at Marguerite and slipped out of bed. My robes felt soft and warm in the cold air of the tower, and my stomach rumbled at the thought of breakfast. I pulled a brush through my hair and headed down to the Great Hall. </p><p>	The tables were already full of warm food. I loaded a plate with eggs, pancakes, hash browns, and sliced fruit. After one bite, I realized how ravenous I was. The food was always perfectly cooked, the drinks always the perfect temperature. Beatrix joined me eventually and matched the pace at which I was eating. We finished pretty early, and decided to head to Charms to get good seats. I liked to sit in the second row, so I could be close enough to see everything but not in the very front. I didn’t like to be noticed that much. While we were walking, I realized something.</p><p>	“Beatrix! I completely forgot that Quidditch tryouts were this afternoon!” I said excitedly. She smiled.</p><p>	“I’ll be watching in my brightest blue scarf. I’m sure you’ll get Chaser again,” she said. Beatrix doesn’t play Quidditch, but she loves to watch. </p><p>	We made our way through our classes. I excelled in most of them, but I was simply awful at Herbology. I have the worst touch when it comes to plants. I could ace written exams, though, and that was enough to get me through with at least a B. </p><p>	After Herbology, I ran back to our dorms and changed quickly into my Quidditch uniform. The pitch was already full when I got there, and Fred caught my eye. I ducked my head, but not fast enough to miss his exaggerated wink. Then the tryouts began.</p><p>	The players sent a few nasty Bludgers my way, but I missed them all and scored the most points out of everyone who tried out. Beatrix whooped triumphantly from the stands, and ran down to hug me.</p><p>	“You were amazing! You play like that in the games, and Gryffindor doesn’t stand a chance.” I giggled with her as we walked back to the castle.</p><p>	“Sure about that?” A voice came from behind me. I whipped around to see Fred smiling at me. I smiled back.</p><p>	“Positive, Weasley. I flew circles around your Chasers.”</p><p>	“Ah, but you didn’t play against me. I’m quite the Beater, if you hadn’t heard.” He smirked. I rolled my eyes at him.</p><p>	“And modest, too.” He laughed, and I laughed with him. Then I caught Beatrix making a kissy face at me. I ducked my head and moved ahead, leaving Fred behind.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Sure About That?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This ones kind of short! Also I hope the overlap from last chapter isn't confusing, I just wanted both of the POV's of that interaction.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p>	George kept chewing me out for liking his best friend’s best friend. I retorted with the fact that Beatrix probably loved the drama that would ensue. I hoped Lillian wasn’t too embarrassed about the boat fiasco. I shouldn’t have grabbed her the way that I did. She most likely wouldn’t have fallen, but she didn’t pull away right away. I wondered if that was a good or bad thing. </p><p>	Since we’re all sixth years, George and I and the girls shared all of our classes. We sat behind them most of the time. I watched Lillian scribble down notes and raise her hand in excitement. She was the Hermione Granger of our year. I watched how her cheeks flushed when the teachers praised her for a correct answer. I loved the way she sat for a few moments after class to organize her notes and re-pack her books carefully. She was careful and diligent in every way that I was messy and thoughtless. </p><p>	Quidditch tryouts were that afternoon. I pulled on my bright red robes and headed out to the pitch. Lillian was already there, clutching her broom and almost glowing in the sun. Gryffindor tryouts were first, and I tried my best to show off. Lillian watched me from the ground, smiling and shaking her head occasionally at my antics. When it was her turn, she played one of the best tryouts I had ever seen. She scored more points than any other Chaser, and avoided every Bludger sent at her. It was incredible. As they were leaving the pitch, I snuck up behind Lillian and Beatrix just in time to hear them talking about beating Gryffindor. </p><p>	“Sure about that?” I quipped. Lillian turned to look at me. She smiled.</p><p>	“Positive, Weasley. I flew circles around your Chasers.” She wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t about to let her know that.</p><p>	“Ah, but you didn’t play against me. I’m quite the Beater, if you hadn’t heard.” I shot her a signature Weasley SmirkTM. She rolled her eyes with a grin.</p><p>	“And modest too.” I laughed. She laughed with me, and my heart skipped a beat. A whole and hearty laugh! I was getting better. Suddenly she stopped laughing and moved ahead of me. I watched after her, slightly confused.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Worth A Shot</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, there's some angst here. I hope the Cedric mention isn't too painful.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	As we walked away, I glared at Beatrix.</p><p>	“What was that?” I hissed. “I do not like Fred Weasley!” She looked confused.</p><p>	“I was only joking,” she said. “I didn’t think it mattered that much. You just seem like you talk and smile more around him.”</p><p>	“Be that as it may, you can’t embarrass me in front of him like that.”</p><p>	“If you don’t like him, why do you care?” She looked like she was trying to suppress a smile. I stuttered over some half-explanation, then stalked off without her. I didn’t talk to her at dinner or for the rest of the day. At night, when I was laying in my soft bed, I realized how fully screwed I was. </p><p>	I liked Fred Weasley. Dammit.</p><p>	The next morning, Beatrix sat gingerly next to me in the Great Hall.</p><p>	“Lillian?” She said softly. I ignored her.</p><p>	“Please just listen, okay? I’m sorry for teasing you. I know how you feel about boys in general, but just… Fred isn’t like Cedric, okay?” She put a hand on my shoulder. I felt a tear fall down my face.</p><p>	“How do you know?” I said, my voice cracking. “How do you know that he won’t… won’t die like Cedric did? Cedric died the day after he said he loved me. You were there, you saw what happened, but you don’t know what that does to a person. What that did to me.”</p><p>	“Lillian, I was there with you. I can’t relate to what happened, but I do understand what you went through. I’m telling you now, you can’t block everybody out because of something that happened one time. I understand that you might not be ready, but I think that a boy as good as Fred could help you.” She pulled me into a hug. I nodded into her shoulder. Maybe Fred could help me. Maybe he could fix me. It was worth a shot.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Merlin, You're Clueless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	Despite Umbridge looming over us, the next few weeks were some of my happiest. Lillian seemed like she was opening up to me. I heard her singing once, and I took to calling her Birdy, which she actually seemed to enjoy. She even approached me and started up a conversation a couple of times. It sounds minor, but after what she’s been through it’s a pretty big step.</p><p>	Cedric Diggory died two years before. He and Lillian had been happily dating, and seeing her laugh with him was what made me develop my crush in the first place. When he entered the Triwizard Tournament, Lillian was so proud of him. She went to every game, and Beatrix made George and I come as well. When they found out that Cedric had died, Lillian was completely shattered. She almost failed that year, but Beatrix supported her and brought her to class and made sure she ate. Lillian might have gotten sick or even died without Beatrix’s care. That summer was when she and George got closer, since the constant care took a toll on her. Lillian seemed better when she returned for fifth year, but there was still something missing from her. Cedric’s death had taken a piece of her that was never coming back, but I had a small amount of hope that I could restore some of her happiness. </p><p>	I walked with her to all of our classes, and we partnered up a lot in Potions and Charms. She always went to the library after dinner to study and do homework, and most days I went with her. She helped me with our homework, and I did my best to help her in Herbology. </p><p>	When the first Hogsmeade trip arrived, George, Lillian, Beatrix, and I went as a group. We stopped for some Butterbeer, and I sat across from Lillian. The delicious drink warmed us up, and I could see the flush on Lillian’s face from the cold turn to a blush as I engaged her in a conversation about the Yule Ball. I wasn’t planning on asking her, at least not then, but it wouldn’t hurt to put the idea in her mind. </p><p>	George insisted on going into Zonko’s to buy some prank stuff. Beatrix and Lillian were giggling over love potions in the corner when George grabbed my arm.</p><p>	“You’re serious about her, aren’t you?” He fixed me with a hard stare. I shrugged.</p><p>	“I don’t know what you’re on about.”<br/>	“Come on, don’t be a git. It’s obvious that you like her.”</p><p>	“Yeah, obviously. But she doesn’t like me so keep your loud mouth shut.” He sighed in exasperation.</p><p>	“She very clearly does like you, you bloody git. Every time you talk to her she blushes redder than your hair!”</p><p>	“Really? You think so?” </p><p>	“Merlin, you’re clueless.” He turned and started picking up some Puking Pastilles. I tried to grab some stuff to prank Umbridge, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Lillian. Did she really like me?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. They're Up To Something</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	The Hogsmeade trips were always fun. Fred walked next to me, and every time he brushed against me I blushed madly. It was so obvious that I liked him. I’m good at keeping a neutral face, but my blush gave me away every time. He bought us all Butterbeer and sat across from me.</p><p>	“Here you are, Birdy,” he said cheerfully. He started calling me that after he heard me singing quietly as I left class. </p><p>	“Thanks, Freddie.” He smiled.</p><p>	“Are you excited for the Yule Ball?” I looked up sharply.</p><p>	“Oh, um, yeah. It should be fun. Beatrix and I are going to buy dresses soon.”</p><p>	“Oh, really? Not an invite for me?”</p><p>	“As much fun as that sounds, I think you’d better stay behind. I can’t ruin the surprise.” As soon as I said that, I blushed. I had made it sound like I was dressing up for him. He only laughed, and clutched his chest in mock pain. </p><p>	“I’m hurt, Birdy. Truly hurt.” I laughed and rolled my eyes at him. We finished our Butterbeer and George demanded that we visit Zonko’s. Beatrix and I cooed over the Pygmy Puffs and giggled over love potions. Who in their right mind would buy a love potion from Zonko’s, of all places?</p><p>	When we were headed back, Fred and George announced that they had to make another stop. They insisted that Beatrix and I went ahead, so we warily left them behind.</p><p>	“They’re definitely up to something,” muttered Beatrix. I agreed.</p><p>	Dinner came and went and the twins didn’t return to Hogwarts. The snow began to fall harder and harder and I got concerned. I decided to visit Professor McGonagall. </p><p>	“Professor?” I said timidly, knocking on her door. She looked up.</p><p>	“What is it, Miss Adler?”</p><p>	“Oh, I was wondering if you had seen Fred and George Weasley. I didn’t see them come back after the Hogsmeade visit.” She sighed.</p><p>	“We were trying to keep it quiet. Yes, the two Weasley boys are missing, but several teachers and prefects are out looking for them. I’m sure they’re fine.”</p><p>	“Oh, alright.” I heard the panic rising in my voice. “Thank you, Professor.” She smiled kindly at me.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Goodnight, Birdy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter was fun to write! I hope you like it :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	We were just planning a silly joke. Make the girls a little worried, then come back. In bed before curfew, no problems. But then it started to snow. And then hail. George and I rushed into the nearest building we could find, which happened to be an old shed. </p><p>	“We’ve really done it this time,” George groaned. “We’ll be lucky if we don’t get expelled.”</p><p>	“We’re not going to get expelled for being snowed in,” I said, but even I could hear the doubt in my voice. We sat in silence for what felt like hours until I managed to fall asleep. I woke to several voices.</p><p>	“Hey, over here. They’re in here!”</p><p>	“Oh, thank Merlin. Come on, let’s get them inside to the castle.” I tried to stand but I couldn’t feel my feet. An arm pulled me up, and I saw another grab George out of the corner of my eye. I heard a muffled spell, and my body instantly warmed. I walked shakily, then regained control of my limbs and began to make my way back to the castle. I saw Professors Snape and Sprout along with some of the prefects. They all looked relieved, and I wondered how long they had been looking. I mumbled thank-yous to all of them, and we made our way back up to the castle. </p><p>	We walked into the entrance of the Great Hall, and I was shocked to see Lillian sitting on one of the benches. When she heard the door open, she snapped her head up.</p><p>	“Oh, thank God,” she said hoarsely, and ran towards us. She crashed into me with a hug, her arms wrapped around my neck. She was on her tiptoes, one hand resting lightly on the back of my neck. After a moment of shock, I threw my arms around her too, hugging her tightly. The scent of her lavender shampoo intoxicated me, and I unconsciously pulled her closer. She released me after a bit, but she kept her hands on either side of my face.</p><p>	“I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so worried. What on earth were you doing?” Her words tumbled out of her in a frantic and jumbled mess.</p><p>	“It was supposed to be a joke, we were gonna come back, but then the storm started and we got stranded. I’m so sorry.” She nodded, smiled, and gave me another hug. She tucked her head into my neck, and I leaned my head on hers. George cleared his throat.</p><p>	“I’m okay too, thanks for asking.” Lillian released me with a laugh.</p><p>	“Sorry, George.” She gave him a hug too. I managed to catch my breath. She took my hand and smiled up at me. We walked to Ravenclaw tower.</p><p>	“Night, Freddy,” she said softly. My heart swelled.</p><p>	“Goodnight, Birdy.” She gave me a last smile and disappeared into her common room. I turned and went back downstairs. I found George, and we started to head back to our dorms. Suddenly, McGonagall appeared. </p><p>	“I’m glad you boys are okay, but staying in Hogsmeade by yourself is very serious. I will be giving you boys a detention. George, you’ll be with Snape. Fred, you’ll report to Umbridge. Tomorrow evening, don’t be late.” She swept down the hall.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. You Look Bloody Miserable</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There's some more overlap here, but I had to give you Lillian's POV!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	Beatrix tried to coax me to bed, but I refused. Fred was out there, and I was staying. I insisted that Beatrix get some sleep though. The Great Hall was quiet for several hours, but finally the door opened. Fred walked in.</p><p>	“Oh, thank God,” I said, and launched myself off the bench. I threw myself into Fred’s arms, wrapping my arms around him. He didn’t hug me back at first, and I got slightly nervous that I had overstepped. But then he hugged me back, pulling me against him. He smelled incredible, like sweets and firework smoke. I felt a lump swell up in my throat. Cupping his face in my hands, I pulled back a bit.</p><p>	“I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so worried. What on earth were you doing?” I could barely control the words coming out of my mouth. He looked desperately apologetic.</p><p>	“It was supposed to be a joke, we were gonna come back, but then the storm started and we got stranded. I’m so sorry.” He looked into my eyes, silently reassuring me that he was okay. I hugged him again, burying my face. He lightly rested his head on mine, and I smiled into him.</p><p>	“I’m okay too, thanks for asking,” said George. I laughed a bit and disentangled myself from Fred. </p><p>	“Sorry, George,” I said sheepishly. I hugged him as well, but it didn’t bring the comfort that Fred had. I took Fred’s hand again, and looked up at him. He smiled at me, and squeezed my hand. We walked together to my common room and bade each other a good night. I couldn’t stop smiling as I got ready for bed, and my dreams brought images of me in Fred’s arms.</p><p>	The next morning, Fred winked at me from across the Great Hall. I blushed and smiled at him. After breakfast, he came up to me and scooped up my bookbag.</p><p>	“Come on, Birdy, time for Charms. You’d better pay attention, I can’t come to the library tonight. I’ve got detention with Umbridge.” I looked up at him.</p><p>	“Umbridge? She’s awful! Merlin knows what she does to students in detention.”</p><p>	“Try not to worry too much, Birdy. I’m much stronger than I look.” He nudged me gently, and I smiled weakly. I was distracted through all of my classes, thinking about all the awful things that could happen to Fred. He ate dinner quickly, shot me a smile, and slipped out of the Great Hall with his brother. Beatrix looked concerned.</p><p>	“What’s up with you today? You look bloody miserable.”</p><p>	“Fred has detention with Umbridge, of all people. Every student who has detention with her always comes back looking miserable.”</p><p>	“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go to the library.” She got up and grabbed her bag. I shook my head.</p><p>	“I think I’ll pass. I’m going to wait for Fred.”</p><p>	“Well, at least you admit you like him.” She smirked at me, and I jokingly hit her. We parted ways, and I headed to the seats outside Umbridge’s office.</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Don't Be Sorry</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	“Professor? I’m here for detention.” The little lady in pink looked up, and gave me a prim smile.</p><p>	“Hello, Mr. Weasley. I think this will be a good learning experience for you. Come have a seat.” She gestured towards the chair in front of her desk. I sat down nervously.</p><p>	“Mr. Weasley, do you know why you’re here?”</p><p>	“Um, I stayed out at Hogsmeade against direct rules.”</p><p>	“Correct. You broke the rules. So, I’m going to have you write the line, ‘I will not break the rules’ 100 times.”</p><p>	“Oh, um, alright.” I reached into a bag.</p><p>	“Oh no, Mr. Weasley, I have a special quill for you to use.” She handed me an ordinary-looking quill and a piece of parchment. </p><p>	“Professor, I don’t have any ink.”</p><p>	“You won’t be needing any.” I looked at her like she was insane. She gestured at the paper. I began to write the first line, and my hand started to sting. I winced and kept writing. My hand only stung more. I looked at my hand, and saw that the line was being cut into my hand.</p><p>	“Anything wrong, Mr. Weasley?” She looked at me with mock concern. I shook my head and kept writing. The line just kept getting deeper and deeper in my skin. I winced again, and occasionally grunted in pain. Umbridge just watched me, and sipped her tea. After the 100th line, I sighed in relief.</p><p>	“I’m finished, Professor,” I said bitterly.</p><p>	“Lovely. You may go. Remember this lesson, Mr. Weasley!” I grabbed my bag and stalked out the door. I was greeted by the sight of Lillian sitting outside Umbridge’s office, leaning over a Potions textbook. She looked up when she heard me.</p><p>	“Oh, there you are. I was starting to get worried, Freddie. What happened?” She looked at me with such relief, I felt my heart jump. I sat down next to her.</p><p>	“Not much. I had to write lines.” She frowned.</p><p>	“Really? That’s not as bad as I expected.”</p><p>	“I told you not to worry. I’m fine, see?” I smiled at her. She smiled back, but it quickly turned to a frown.</p><p>	“Fred, you’re bleeding.” She took my hand gently and inspected it. “Oh my God, Fred! She cut you!” I pulled my hand away.</p><p>	“No, really, I’m fine. She had this quill that writes in your skin.” I tried for a reassuring smile. She didn’t seem to buy it.</p><p>	“Well, I don’t care what happened. She hurt you. Come on, let’s get this taken care of.” She stood and grabbed my uninjured hand, pulling me to my feet. We walked to Ravenclaw tower.</p><p>	“Wait out here, I’ll be right back. I’ve got some Potions stuff in my dorm.” She slipped into the common room. I sat down on a window seat and looked out over the Quidditch pitch. After a few minutes, Lillian came back with a bowl full of supplies. She carefully unpacked everything, spreading it on the seat. </p><p>	“Ok, I’m just gonna make a simply healing draft and then bandage it, ok?” She sat next to me. I nodded.</p><p>	“I trust you, Birdy.” With a smile, she began to mix the draft. I watched her face as she mixed it. She was concentrating hard, her eyebrows knit together, her eyes slightly squinted to see in the dim light. She worked for a while, them took a deep breath.</p><p>	“It’s ready,” she said with a hint of pride. She took my hand gently and put it in the bowl. It stung at first, but then soothed it. I sighed in relief.</p><p>	“Much better, Birdy. You’re a genius.” She blushed and ducked her head.</p><p>	“You have to leave it for about 5 minutes, and then I’ll bandage it, okay?” Her voice was still full of concern. I nodded. We sat in comfortable silence, Lillian looking out the window with a soft smile. I was transported to the first day, watching her look at the stars. I was almost disappointed when the five minutes were up, but the feeling didn’t last long as she gingerly picked up my hand. She grabbed a roll of bandages, and began to wrap my hand. She was careful, thorough, gentle. When I looked at her, I couldn’t suppress the urge to kiss her. I leaned over the bowl and pressed my lips to hers. Her scent filled me up, and the warmth of her lips was perfect. To my relief, she kissed me back, and tangled her free hand in my hair. Her other hand still held my damaged one, and her touch was feather soft against the bandages. I pulled back after a few seconds and pressed my forehead to hers. I was breathless, and it seemed she was too. She moved back and finished bandaging my hand. I was terrified that she was mad.</p><p>	“Lillian, I’m sorry..” She cut me off with another kiss, pulling me close to her and putting her arms around my neck. She looked up at me with a soft smile.</p><p>	“Don’t be sorry. I’m not.” She kissed me again. I put the bowl on the ground and pulled her into my lap without breaking the kiss. Minutes passed, and I pulled back.</p><p>	“Hey Birdy? I think I’m in love with you.” She froze. “Hey, hey are you okay? What’s wrong?” She looked like she might cry.</p><p>	“I think I’m in love with you too,” she whispered. I smiled despite myself.</p><p>	“What’s wrong then, love?” I pulled her against me even tighter.</p><p>	“I just… the last time I was in love, it was Cedric,” she said. Tears began to form in her eyes. </p><p>	“Oh Birdy, I’m sorry. I should have been more careful.” I gently stroked her back. She shook her head.</p><p>	“It’s not your fault. You’re being very sweet, you haven’t done anything wrong. It’s just painful to lose someone that’s important to you.” A tear traced down her cheek. I gently brushed it aside with my thumb, and kissed the spot where it had been.</p><p>	“Listen to me, okay? You can have as much time and space as you need. I will never be mad at you for mourning. I know what he meant to you.” I shifted slightly and maneuvered us so that she sat across my legs with her head leaning on my shoulder. I had one hand around her back, and I held her hand in my free one. She was warm against me, and her breath was hot against my neck. I felt… safe. I gently kissed the top of her head, and leaned against the wall, holding Lillian in my arms.</p><p>       "I love you, Lillian Adler."</p><p>       "I love you, Fred Weasley."</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Glad You Appreciate It</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	I woke up to light streaming through the window. I lifted my head, and realized the Fred was holding me while we lay on the seat in Ravenclaw tower. He looked so peaceful, asleep with a soft smile on his face. I leaned in and gently kissed him. His hand reached up to the back of my head, and I smiled into the kiss. I broke away, and he kissed the tip of my nose.</p><p>	“Good morning, Birdy,” he said in a gravelly voice.</p><p>	“Fred Weasley, I love your morning voice.” I gave him another quick kiss. He smiled.</p><p>	“Glad you appreciate it. How do you feel about some breakfast, love?”</p><p>	“Fantastic idea,” I said, slowly extracting myself from his lap. We began to walk to the Great Hall, and then I stopped short.</p><p>	“Oh my God. Beatrix is going to murder me!” I picked up the pace. Fred laughed loudly.</p><p>	“You’ll be fine, Birdy. She’s been rooting for us since the beginning.” My heart skipped a beat when he said “us.” He lifted my hand and kissed it. When we made it to the Great Hall, he kissed my forehead and walked to his table. I blushed and walked to mine. Beatrix accosted me almost before I sat down.</p><p>	“Where in Merlin’s name were you? I was terrified! I didn’t know what happened. You’d better have a good story.” She glared at me with as much anger as she could muster.<br/>
“I know, and I’m sorry. After Fred came out of detention, he told me that Umbridge made him write lines with a quill that cuts the words into your hand. I took him upstairs and made him a healing draft so I could bandage his hand, and, well… he kissed me.” Beatrix’s eyes widened. She gasped. </p><p>	“I know! And then he thought I was mad and apologized, so I kissed him. And then he said he thought he was in love with me, and I said I did too. We ended up falling asleep in the window seat.” I decided not to tell her about the Cedric discussion. She was elated, and I didn’t want to put a damper on that. She talked for the entirety of breakfast about how excited she was. I smiled and talked with her, but I stole looks at Fred across the Hall. </p><p>	After our meal, Fred walked over to me and slung my bookbag over his shoulder. He took my hand gently. </p><p>	“Ready for Charms, Birdy?” I nodded happily. Beatrix looked like she was going to faint.</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Right You Are</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter is just a pure fluff filler chapter. I promise there's exciting stuff soon!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p>	The next months were incredible. I spent every spare moment with Lillian. She struggled with accepting compliments, so I took to expressing love physically. I held her hand, hugged her, played with her hair, and generally tried to show that I cared. She returned love by performing small acts of thoughtfulness and kindness. She brought little presents, constantly checked on my bruises and cuts from Quidditch, and even offered to help with some of George and my pranks. I usually tried to keep her out of trouble, but occasionally she helped brew a Potion or master a Charm. Soon enough, it was time for the Yule Ball.</p><p>	Lillian and I went to Hogsmeade about two weeks before the Ball. She hadn’t brought up the Ball at all, but I knew she was thinking about it. We sat in The Three Broomsticks, sipping on Butterbeer when I broached the subject.</p><p>	“The Yule Ball is soon, isn’t it?”</p><p>	“Is it? I hadn’t noticed.” She feigned disinterest. I chuckled.</p><p>	“You hadn’t noticed? So you wouldn’t care whether I asked you or not.” She looked at me, trying to decide if I was kidding or not. </p><p>	“Relax, Birdy. Of course I want to go with you.” I gave her a smile. She looked relieved, and I grabbed her hand under the table.</p><p>	“So, Mr. Weasley, is there a color you prefer me in?” She tilted her head up towards me, a gleam in her eye. I kissed the tip of her nose.</p><p>	“Any color you wear is my favorite color, Miss Adler.” </p><p>	“Well, then, I guess you’ll be surprised.” She took a drink of Butterbeer and kissed me with butterscotch lips. I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and finished my drink. </p><p>	“I’m guessing you’ll be spending the rest of the time with Beatrix to get a dress?”</p><p>	“Right you are, sir,” she said. I stood up and helped her out of the booth.</p><p>	“Have fun, Birdy. I love you.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead.</p><p>	“I love you too, Freddie.” She smiled up at me and slipped out the door. I watched her go, and felt a smile creep on my face. Merlin, I was lucky.</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Learned Your Lesson?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	Beatrix and I visited a little shop called Astrid’s Attire. They carried formal dresses and clothes, and Beatrix was practically hyperventilating at the fact that I had a date.</p><p>	“I think you should wear sky blue! I would say red but I don’t think it would go well with your dear Fred’s hair.” </p><p>	“I like blue. Maybe I could find one with white accents, like clouds!” I hopped excitedly.</p><p>	“Blimey, you’ve got it bad, huh?” She nudged me. I hit her lightly. </p><p>	“I’m just excited about the ball, that’s all.”</p><p>	“Uh-huh. What color do you think I should wear?” She launched into a long narrative about her best colors, and we perused the many racks of gowns. </p><p>	We moved around the store for about half an hour before we made it to the dressing room. Beatrix held five dresses, and I held three.</p><p>	“You go first,” I urged her. She nodded happily and disappeared into the dressing room.</p><p>	Five dresses later, we had picked out a dark purple, high-necked satin gown with a slit up to the thigh. Against her warm brown skin, the dress looked incredible and she was practically glowing. She changed back into her robes and pushed me towards the changing room. </p><p>	My first gown was blue silk with a short skirt. Beatrix clapped happily when I spun around. The next one was a darker blue, and it clung to my skin. Beatrix insisted that it was her favorite, but I was in no way confident enough to wear a “sexy” gown. </p><p>	The last gown was pale blue with a tight bodice that flowed into a tulle skirt. It was off-the-shoulder with loose straps resting on my arms. A single layer of tulle was attached to the straps and fell, swishing around my arms. The effect was almost ethereal, and I felt a bit like a fairy. When I came out of the dressing room, Beatrix’s jaw almost hit the floor. </p><p>	“Absolutely STUNNING! Merlin, what a dress! And you look absolutely perfect. Fred might propose as soon as you walk through the door!” She came up and hugged me. I laughed and hugged her back. We paid for the dresses and practically skipped out the door, arms hooked. I saw Fred outside Zonko’s. Beatrix noticed where I was looking and pulled the bag with my dress out of my hands. </p><p>	“Go get your boy,” she said. I hugged her again, and ran over to Fred. Wrapping my arms around him from behind, I stood as tall as I could and kissed him on the cheek. He spun around, scooped me up bridal style, and gave me a proper kiss. </p><p>	“Hello, Birdy,” he said cheerfully, still holding me. “Find a dress?”</p><p>	“I guess you’ll find out come the day of the Ball,” I teased, kicking my feet a bit.</p><p>	“Oh, really? That’s how it is?” I nodded, giggling. He dropped my legs suddenly but kept his other arm around my waist, and spun me until I was dizzy. Then he kissed me again.</p><p>	“Learned your lesson?” He looked down at me with mirth in his eyes.</p><p>	“I think I need another demonstration,” I said, and pressed my lips to his. He smiled into the kiss, and I tangled my hands in his hair. George made a retching sound behind us.</p><p>	“Get a room, you bloody gits.” Fred turned, glared at him, and kissed me again.</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Born To Love You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	I looked in the mirror and nervously straightened my tie. I was meeting Lillian in five minutes, and my nerves were insane. We had agreed to meet at the entrance to the Great Hall so we could walk in together, and I was quickly running out of time to get there. I smoothed my hair one last time and walked to the staircase.</p><p>	I made it to the meeting place with time to spare, so Lillian wasn’t there yet. I fidgeted with my fingers for a bit, and then I heard someone clear their throat. When I looked up, I swear my heart stopped for a moment.</p><p>	Lillian stood in front of me in a light blue gown that fit her perfectly, her hair gently curled. She smiled at me nervously.</p><p>	“Do you like it?” I walked toward her and kissed her, the taste of her lipgloss sweet.</p><p>	“I love it, Birdy. You look… you look like the most beautiful girl in the world.” She beamed at me, her face flush.</p><p>	“You don’t look too bad yourself, Freddie,” she said. I smirked and offered her my arm. She took it and we made our way to the Great Hall.</p><p>	When we entered, Lillian gasped. The Hall had been transformed from a dining area to a land of ice. There were glass chandeliers and sculptures that looked like they would begin to melt at any moment, and the ceiling was enchanted to look like a snowstorm.</p><p>	“You fit right in, Birdy,” I said quietly. She smiled up at me, and we walked to the dance floor. The rest of the night was a blur but I know I was happy. It was probably one of the best nights of my life. Lillian was absolutely breathtaking. We danced for hours, alone and with Beatrix and George. </p><p>	As I was walking her back to her dorm, Lillian looked up at me.</p><p>	“Can I ask you a question, Freddie?”</p><p>	“Of course, love.”</p><p>	“Why me?”</p><p>	“I’m not quite sure what you mean.” I was confused. She sighed.</p><p>	“Freddy, you could have had almost any girl in this school. Any one of them would swoon over attention from you. But you went for the girl who didn’t talk to you and got anxious when you were around. Why?” I looked at her in disbelief, and stopped walking. She turned to me, and I gripped both of her hands. </p><p>	“Listen to me, Birdy. I wanted you because you made me feel alive. Every time we spoke you kept me guessing about whether you would open up or shut me down. When you looked at me, it was like nothing else mattered. I told myself it was just a silly crush, but I was wrong. I was born to love you, Lillian Adler.” A tear traced down her cheek. I brushed it away and pulled her to me, hugging her hard. When I finally released her, she looked up at me.</p><p>	“Are you sure this is what you want, Freddie?”</p><p>	“This is all I want.”</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. My Big Mistake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	After Fred told me about why he loved me, I felt much better. The idea of Fred choosing me never made sense, but I suppose he sees something that I don’t. </p><p>	I was playing a Quidditch match that day, and I tried to shake Fred from my mind. I loved him, but Merlin was he distracting. I grabbed my broom and met my teammates at the pitch. We were playing Slytherin, and they had a great team that year. I was nervous, but I knew that I was a good Chaser.</p><p>	We headed onto the field, and I scanned the stands until I found Fred, wearing a Ravenclaw scarf he borrowed from Beatrix. I smiled and mounted my broom. Madame Hooch sounded the whistle, and we were off.</p><p>	Let me tell you why I liked Quidditch so much. The rush of flying combined with heavy competition was incredible. It was an outlet for me. I went into a headspace where Quidditch was the only thing that mattered, where the only people that existed were my team and the opposing players. I wove around Slytherins and Bludgers, scoring goal after goal. I could hear cheering, but it was just a faint buzz. </p><p>	An hour passed. Ravenclaw was ahead 130 to 100, and there was no sign of the Snitch. Madame Hooch called a break, but we went back to playing as aggressively before as soon as the whistle sounded. The Slytherins were getting visibly annoyed. That was good for us, maybe they’d get sloppy. We kept scoring. It was at 200-150, and the Snitch had yet to be seen. I began to tire, but I didn’t slow down.</p><p>	After 3 hours, my muscles burned. I tried to keep scoring, but I made more mistakes. I heard a particularly loud yell from the stands, and whipped around. That was my big mistake. When I turned away, a Slytherin beater sent a Bludger careening towards me. I turned back in enough time to see it, but not enough to duck out of the way. It hit me square in the ribs, throwing me backwards off my broom. </p><p>The world went black.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Thanks For Waiting</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	It was the longest game of Quidditch I had ever seen. Lillian was playing incredibly well, but I could see that she was tired, even from the stands. As the game dragged along, the teams got messier. More mistakes, more minor slip-ups. When Madame Hooch called a break, I was relieved, but they went right back to it. My muscles burned just looking at them. Beatrix looked concerned too.</p><p>	Suddenly, a loud whoop came out of the stands. I didn’t see where it came from, but I whipped my head around, and so did Lillian. When I looked back, I saw a Bludger aimed straight at her. I wanted to yell, but I couldn’t risk distracting her again. I could only watch as the ball slammed into her and threw her off her broom. I could almost hear the bones cracking. Beatrix screamed.</p><p>	“Lillian!” I yelled. Beatrix and I rushed down onto the pitch. Lillian wasn’t moving, and her breath was shallow. I cradled her head in my lap.</p><p>	“Hey, hey, come on. You’re okay,” I mumbled under my breath. I was in shock. Beatrix touched my shoulder gently. I looked up. She seemed much more calm than I did.</p><p>	“Calm down, Fred. She’ll be okay.” Her voice wavered a bit, but she looked determined. I nodded shakily. I picked Lillian up, resting her head on my shoulder. Beatrix and I walked as quickly as we could up to the castle.</p><p>	Madame Pomfrey looked up, startled, as we pushed into the infirmary. </p><p>	“My goodness, what happened?” She rushed forward.</p><p>	“She was knocked off her broom by a Bludger,” I said hurriedly.</p><p>	“Set her there,” said Madame Pomfrey, gesturing towards a bed. I laid Lillian down gently and sat next to the bed as Madame Pomfrey rushed around, gathering medicines and bottles.</p><p>	“Alright, Mr. Weasley, I need you to leave the room while I work.”</p><p>	“What? No. I’m staying right here, with her. I’m not leaving.”</p><p>	“Mr. Weasley, please listen. I’ll call you back as soon as possible, but I need room to work. You want her to recover, correct?” She looked at me with sympathy. I nodded.</p><p>	“Alright. Alright, but please let me see her as soon as possible.” She nodded kindly. I brushed a piece of hair off of Lillian’s forehead, and walked out of the room.</p><p>	I sat outside the infirmary what seemed like hours. Beatrix sat with me. We didn’t talk. I was so worried about Lillian. What if it hurt her head? What if she didn’t remember me? I didn’t think I could handle that. She was everything to me. I fidgeted with my hands, trying not to think about all the bad things that could happen, which only made me think about them more. </p><p>	The infirmary door opened, and I stood up quickly.</p><p>	“I can take one guest in,” Madame Pomfrey said. I looked down at Beatrix.</p><p>	“You go ahead,” she said with a smile. I nodded and went in.</p><p>	Lillian was still asleep. Her breathing seemed a bit stronger, but she was pale and fragile-looking. I sat down next to her and picked up her hand. It was ice cold. Madame Pomfrey came up behind me.</p><p>	“She had several broken ribs and a fractured wrist. I mended those quite easily, A nasty gash on her face, I think she got it on her broom, but no head injuries other than that. She should be waking up shortly.” I sighed in relief. </p><p>	After a few minutes, Lillian stirred. I rubbed my thumb over her hand. Her eyes flickered open, and she gently tilted her head towards me.</p><p>	“Hey Birdy,” I said softly. She smiled a little.</p><p>	“Hey Freddie. Why am I in the infirmary?”</p><p>	“Do you remember the Quidditch game? You took a nasty Bludger to the ribs and fell off your broom.” She groaned.</p><p>	“Well that’s embarrassing. Did we win?” She looked serious. I couldn’t help but laugh.</p><p>	“Really? You broke a bunch of bones and have a bloody gash on your face and you say it’s embarrassing? And yes, you won.” She smiled and nodded. </p><p>	“Thanks for waiting Freddie,” she said quietly.</p><p>	“Of course, Birdy. I’ll always wait for you.”</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Petrified</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	After I was released from the infirmary, Fred kept even closer to me that usual. I didn’t mind, but I was slightly concerned. He constantly held my hand, hugged me, and stood over me almost protectively. I was never allowed to carry my own book bag, he just scooped it up without a word. One day I decided to ask him about it.</p><p>	“Hey, Freddie? Can I ask you something?”</p><p>	“Of course, Birdie. What’s on your mind?” </p><p>	“Well, I was just wondering. I will never complain about affection from you, but it just seems like… you’ve been much more attentive lately. Is everything okay?” He didn’t speak at first, and I was concerned that I’d hurt his feelings. As I was about to apologize, he spoke abruptly and startled me.</p><p>	“When I saw you fall in that Quidditch match, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t yell, or say anything. I just froze. I saw the Bludger, and I did nothing. If I had lost you, I would have never forgiven myself, and I don’t think I’d ever smile again. When you woke up, I was petrified that you wouldn’t remember me. I don’t know, maybe I’m overcompensating, but being close to you makes me feel like I can better protect you. Does that make sense?”</p><p>	“Of course it makes sense, Freddie. I’ll tell you right now though, there’s very few things that could pull me away from you.” I stood on my toes and tried to kiss his cheek, but he turned and caught my lips in proper kiss. </p><p>	“If it’s all the same to you, I think I’ll still stay with you a lot.”</p><p>	“Of course, Freddie.”</p><p>He was true to his word. Fred and I were practically inseparable. He was next to me in every class, walking me around the castle. I think it was partially about the rumors of You Know Who, but we tried to never speak of him. I was happy with him, and I could tell that he was happy too.</p><p>	Professor Snape called our Potions class to order. Fred sat next to me, of course, and he held my hand under the desk. </p><p>	“Today, class, we will be making Amortentia, otherwise known as Love Potion. Can anyone tell me what Amortentia does?” I raised my hand excitedly. “Miss Adler?”</p><p>	“Amortentia is a potion that causes the drinker to fall in love with the one who administered it. A child born under the effects of the potion cannot love. Amortentia smells like the person that you love most in the world.”</p><p>	“Very good,  5 points to Ravenclaw. Open your textbooks to page 36, and work with your partner to brew an Amortentia draft.” Fred turned to me.</p><p>	“Merlin, you’re brilliant. Shall we brew, partner?” I flipped open my textbook in response. </p><p>	We carefully followed all the instructions. Actually, let me amend that. I carefully followed all the instructions, and Fred fiddled with my hair. When I was about done, I swatted his hand. </p><p>	“Come on, it’s about ready.” I raised my hand. “Finished, Professor.” Snape looked up.</p><p>	“Very good, Miss Adler. Now tell me, what do you smell?” I inhaled deeply over Fred and my cauldron pot. </p><p>	“I smell… firework smoke. And sweets, and Zonko’s.” Fred broke into a goofy grin.</p><p>	“It’d better not be my brother,” he teased. I elbowed him.</p><p>	“And what do you smell, Mr. Weasley?” Snape turned to him.</p><p>	“I smell lavender, and old parchment. And rain on grass, and,” he took another sniff, “quill ink.” I smiled down at our clasped hands.</p><p>	“Very good job, Miss Adler, Mr. Weasley. You’ll receive full marks.”</p><p>	As we walked out of class, Fred leaned down and whispered in my ear.</p><p>	“Thanks for the passing mark, Birdy.”</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. I Love You Madly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	George and I had been working on our plan for Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes for months. Lillian had been helping us with some of the more sophisticated parts of starting a business, since we were bloody hopeless. </p><p>	“Honestly, pranks are all you’re good for, Freddie,” she teased while working on some paperwork.</p><p>	“Uh-huh. Mind telling me what you’re doing?” She laughed.</p><p>	“I’m finalizing your purchase of Zonko’s. Once the owner signs this, you’ll legally own the building and we can start renovation.”</p><p>	“Brilliant, Birdy! What would I do without you?”</p><p>	“I imagine you’d still be bumbling along like you did before me.”</p><p>	“I’d imagine so. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Birdy.” I said, leaning over the back of her chair and wrapping my arms around her. She set down her quill and leaned back against me.</p><p>	“I love you. You know that, right? I feel like I don’t say it enough, but I love you madly, Fred Weasley.” She tilted her head up and kissed me. I closed my eyes and stroked her face with my hand. We broke away after a minute and her face broke into a smile. Then she turned back to the papers. I groaned.</p><p>“Birdy, you know I appreciate all the work you’re doing, but could you take the rest of the night off?” She swatted me away.</p><p>“Give me ten minutes, Freddie, and then I’m all yours.” It thought about trying again, but it would be no use. Once she began working on something, neither hell nor high water would pull her away until she had decided that she was finished. I flopped onto my bed and just admired her, watching how she tilted her head slightly as the worked and occasionally muttered something unintelligible. </p><p>“Done,” she said proudly after almost exactly ten minutes. She rose and disappeared into my closet, emerging in one of my Quidditch jerseys. It hung almost to her knees, and she looked absolutely adorable. I watched as she carefully organized all of her papers, stowed her quill and ink safely away, and finally climbed next to me into the bed. I turned so that our noses were almost touching.</p><p>“About time,” I said in mock exasperation, and wrapped my arm around her, pulling her close to me. She curled up and tucked her head up against my shoulder. I gently stroked her hair, watching her drift off. She mumbled something I didn’t quite hear.</p><p>“What was that, love?” I asked softly.</p><p>“I love you madly, Fred Weasley.”</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. They Aren't Perfect</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	The room was silent, save for quills scratching on parchment and the tick of the giant clock. Our exams were in full swing, and Umbridge sat primly overseeing the crowd of students. The test was stupidly easy, and I had finished ages ago, but I kept flipping through the pages and pretending to write. There was no way I was going to miss the show.</p><p>	As if on cue, a loud banging noise sounded just outside the classroom. And then again. As it continued, Umbridge began making her way to the door, probably relishing the thought of punishing a student. As she flung open the door, a small spark flew around her head. It shot into the classroom and exploded into a firework display. I grinned widely. This was it. </p><p>	As the first sparks faded, I watched Umbridge continue looking around confusedly. Suddenly, my boyfriend and his brother zoomed into the classroom on brooms, throwing fireworks and cheering. Sparks and bangs filled the room, and all the exam papers went flying. Umbridge shrieked and tried to regain control of the classroom, but it was no use. Small sparks chased Malfoy and his goons while the rest of us cheered. Fred winked at me from his broom. </p><p>	George threw a particularly large firework which exploded into a huge orange dragon. Umbridge screamed and scrambled away as the dragon chased her. It followed her out of the room and, finally, completely obscured her in a burst of smoke and pyrotechnics. I sighed in relief. The dragon had taken weeks of Charms research.</p><p>	Fred and George blew past Umbridge, almost knocking her to the ground. They flew out the open door, throwing their last batch of fireworks. A large “W” formed from the sparks, and all the students cheered. I even saw Professor Flitwick cheer.</p><p>	Half an hour and several teachers later, we were herded back into our classroom and told to finish our exam. I sat idly, resting my chin on my hand, a small smile on my face. They had really done it. Their joke shop was opening the next day, after months of work. I had helped, sure, but the boys had done so much work and lost a lot of sleep putting together their dream. I was very proud of the both of them.</p><p>	Despite my pride, I was a bit apprehensive. I wasn’t concerned that the shop would fail, but I wouldn’t be able to see Fred as much, of course. And with the rising concerns about a war with Voldemort, I didn’t want to be away from Fred more than I had to. Not that he needed my protection, or I his, but I just felt better when I could see him and know he was okay. I knew the choice to leave was hard for him too. He would have stayed if I hadn’t pushed him so hard to open the shop.</p><p>	That evening in the common room, Beatrix sat next to me while I studied</p><p>	“You know, I’m proud of you. You didn’t let him give up on his dreams, even though you knew that you’d miss him. Just let me know if you’re ever lonely or need to talk, okay?”</p><p>	“Thanks, Beatrix,” I said. “I’m just… with all of the You-Know-Who stuff happening, I hate to be away from him. I know he’ll be fine, but it’s hard.”</p><p>	“I know, Lillian. I’m worried sick about my parents and my little sister, but I can’t just think about them or I’ll drive myself crazy thinking about things I can’t prevent.” She leaned her head on my shoulder and wrapped her arm around me.</p><p>	“I’m sure your family will be fine. Your dad’s one of the best wizards I’ve ever met.”</p><p>	“And the twins will be fine, too. After you drilled them over their exams thousands of times, they’d better know every spell in the books.” I laughed.</p><p>	“Exams they didn’t even take,” I said in mock exasperation.</p><p>	“Yes, well, they aren’t perfect.” She laughed with me. It felt good to not worry.</p>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Destroy Him</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	The shop was booming. We’d been open for a week and were already making capital. I sent small presents to Lillian, and she sent back gifts of her own. Apparently, she’d taken up painting in my absence, and of course she was good at it. I had a desk covered in small portraits, including a caricature of Umbridge. That was my personal favorite.</p><p>	Hogsmeade trips were the highlights of my time. Lillian would come bounding through the door and fling her arms around me. Today was one of the trip days, and I was terribly excited. I was barely able to concentrate the next few hours. Every time the door opened I whipped towards it, hoping to see her beaming face. Every time, I was disappointed. </p><p>	Finally, she appeared in the doorway. I grinned and moved towards her, but slowed a bit at her expression. She looked scared, but she wasn’t looking at me. She kept glancing back towards the door. When she finally did look at me, she ran towards me and threw her arms around my neck.</p><p>	“Freddie! Thank God, I was so worried.” I hugged her back, stroking her hair.</p><p>	“What’s wrong, love? Are you okay?” She pulled back a bit and looked up at me, her face full of concern.</p><p>	“Several Death Eaters were seen around town. They’re raiding stores to look for Muggleborns so they can report back to Voldemort.”</p><p>	“What are you doing here then? You’ve got to go, you’ve got to hide!” I heard my voice turn to panic. She shook her head.</p><p>	“I’m staying here with you.”</p><p>	“Lillian, please. You have to go. Please.” She shook her head again and grasped my hand.</p><p>	“If you’re here, I’m here.” I was about to argue again, but then the door burst off its hinges. A crows of Death Eaters stormed in, looking around.</p><p>	“Well, hello,” said a smooth voice. “We don’t want to harm this fine store or its customers, we just want some information. Comply, and everything will be just fine.” I shoved Lillian behind me. </p><p>	“This is private property. Get out,” I said, in a tone much stronger than I felt.</p><p>	“Oh, now none of that.” The Death Eater in front brushed past me. “Who here is a Muggleborn? If you tell us, there will be no need for anything unpleasant.” No one said a thing. He sighed. </p><p>	“All right, then. I suppose that’s how it is.” He waved his hand. The rest of the Death Eaters fanned out and pulled out their wands. </p><p>	“Get down,” I yelled. People dropped to the ground left and right as the masked wizards cast their spell. I found my hand and feet bound, and upon looking around, I realized everyone else was restrained similarly. </p><p>	“Are you okay?” I whispered to Lillian. She nodded.</p><p>	“Are you?” I tried for a smile.</p><p>	“Of course I am, Birdy. I’m stronger than I look.” She smiled back weakly. The Death Eaters went around, tapping their wands to people’s heads. When they found a Muggleborn, their wands were taken and they were taken outside to Merlin knows what. One Death Eater approached a girl who couldn’t have been more than seven years old. When he went to tap his wand against her head, a voice rang out.</p><p>	“Leave her alone,” Lillian said loudly. The man turned.</p><p>	“Oh, a fighter, eh? Want to play a hero? I’ll show you true power. Crucio!” He flicked his wand. Lillian collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. Her screams filled my ears, but the man just laughed.</p><p>	“Stop it! Leave her alone!” I yelled. “Please! Leave her alone! I’ll do anything, please!”</p><p>	“Come now, Samael. The girl is half-blood. Not perfect, but not a disgrace. Leave her alone.” The smooth voice of the head Death Eater broke over Lillian’s screams. The torturer lowered his wand, and Lillian gasped.</p><p>	“My apologies, sir.” The Death Eaters turned and left, releasing us with a flick of their wands. I grabbed Lillian, pulling her into my lap and brushing hair out of her face. She was shaking.</p><p>	“Hey, you’re alright. Come on, look at me, Birdy. You’re all right.” I pulled her close to me. “Please, Birdy.”</p><p>	“Freddie?” she asked quietly. I almost cried with joy.</p><p>	“Yes, yes it’s me. Come on, let’s get you somewhere other than the floor.” I scooped her up and carried her upstairs, laying her gently on my bed. She wasn’t asleep, but she was still shaking. I sank into a chair and held her hand, muttering reassurances under my breath.</p><p>	About half an hour later, she had stopped shaking, and was responding to me when I talked.</p><p>	“Can you tell me how you feel?” I asked gently.</p><p>	“It’s strange. I’m not in pain anymore, but it’s almost like my body remembers the pain and isn’t letting it go just yet. And I feel drained. Like he took away a piece of me with the curse.” I swallowed a lump in my throat.</p><p>	“I’m so sorry this happened, Birdy. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.” </p><p>	“This isn’t your fault, Freddie. I chose to stay, I knew the risks. And I’m glad I did.” She looked stronger there, for just a moment. I rose from the chair and laid down next to her, pulling her against me. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I put mine around her waist. We lay there for what seemed like hours. Then I realized.</p><p>	“Oh God. You’re late for school! They’re probably out looking for you. Do you feel like you can get up?” She nodded.</p><p>	“I feel much better now. Will you walk with me?”</p><p>	“Of course, Birdy.” I helped her to her feet, not letting go of her hand. We walked together down the stairs. She flinched as she passed the spot where he had cursed her, and I put my arm around her. </p><p>	“You’re okay,” I said quietly. She leaned against me. We made our way outside, where she was quickly spotted by the search party. Beatrix rushed over to us.</p><p>	“Thank goodness,” she said, hugging Lillian tightly. “What on earth were you doing?”</p><p>	“The shop was raided by Death Eaters, and…” I trailed off.</p><p>	“One used the Cruciatus curse on me,” finished Lillian. Her voice wavered slightly, but she lifted her head in a show of bravery. I hugged her again. Professor McGonagall came up to us as well.</p><p>	“Did I hear that correctly? You said the Cruciatus curse? My goodness, dear, let’s get you back to the castle. Mr. Weasley, would you mind coming as well? I’d like to ask you some questions. </p><p>	“Of course. Let me tell George where I’m going.” </p><p>	“Too late,” said George behind me. “I’m a master at eavesdropping.” He clapped me on the shoulder, then turned to Lillian. His face went the softest I had ever seen.</p><p>	“I won’t bother asking if you’re alright. Just know that since you’re important to Fred, you’re important to me. You’ll always find companionship and help here, okay?” Lillian hugged him.</p><p>	“Thank you, George. The same goes for me, I’ll be around for you too, okay?” George chuckled.</p><p>	“Thanks very much. I’ll keep it in mind.” He turned and went back into the store. I put my arm around Lillian again, Beatrix grabbed her hand, and we made our way back to the castle.</p><p>	McGonagall asked me loads of questions, which I answered as best I could. To be honest, the events were a little blurry, but I remembered the name: Samael. </p><p>	If I ever got the chance, I’d absolutely destroy him.</p>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. That Slimy Git</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	It took weeks before anyone but Fred could touch me without me flinching. Even Beatrix tapping my shoulder caused me to jump. I couldn’t focus in my classes, couldn’t sleep, didn’t feel like eating. Fred took as much time as he could with me, but he couldn’t just waltz into Hogwarts whenever he wanted. </p><p>	I sat in potions with Beatrix. We were making veritaserum, and we were almost done. Suddenly, someone behind me tapped my shoulder. I jumped and dropped a vial into the cauldron. It began smoking, and exploded. The loud noise startled me, but Beatrix grabbing my shoulder startled me more. I panicked and stood up, knocking over the cauldron.</p><p>	“Miss Adler,” said Snape loudly. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”</p><p>	“I-I’m sorry, Professor, I slipped.”</p><p>	“You slipped? You slipped and dropped an entire vial into a cauldron which you proceeded to knock over?”</p><p>	“Sir, I-”</p><p>	“Report to Professor Dumbledore’s office immediately.” I nodded shakily and gathered my things. </p><p>	Professor Dumbledore’s office was closed, and I had no clue what the password was. I decided to go to Hogsmeade and see Fred instead. Stupid? Yes. But at that point I was beyond caring.</p><p>	Weasley’s Wizard Wheeze was bustling as usual, but I spotted Fred and his red hair standing about a foot above everyone around him. He looked up and his face broke into a confused grin.</p><p>	“Birdy? What are you doing here?” He hugged me.</p><p>	“Someone tapped my shoulder in Potions and I ruined the potion and then Beatrix took my hand and I knocked the cauldron over and Snape sent me to Dumbledore but I came here instead.” The words fell from my mouth in a rush.</p><p>	“Ok, Birdy, slow down. Are you alright?” He looked concerned. I nodded.</p><p>	“Yes, I’m fine, just shaken a bit. Fred, I want to leave Hogwarts.”</p><p>	“Merlin, Birdy, why would you do that? You’re absolutely brilliant.”</p><p>	“Exactly. I’m at a seventh year level, which means if I left right now I wouldn’t lose anything. And I just… I can’t do it. I feel like I’ll never be myself again if I stay there.”</p><p>	“You know I’ll support you no matter what, Birdy. Whatever you wanna do, that’s fine. If you leave, you can stay here with me. It can be like when we were first starting the store, you can help with making products.” I threw my arms around him.</p><p>	“Thank you, Freddie.” He hugged me back</p><p>	“Of course. Did you think I’d turn you away?”</p><p>	The next weeks were wonderful. I was surprised to find that I actually had some good prank ideas, and unlike the boys I had the know-how to make the more complicated ones happen. Fred and George weren’t stupid, but they didn’t have the touch that I did went it came to academics. I began to picture a life for me and Fred, running their shop with George. Getting married, even. Beatrix had plans too. She wanted to take over the pet shop with Luna Lovegood. They had begun dating about two months prior, and I didn’t think I’d ever seen a better match. Beatrix was fascinated by all of Luna’s strange knowledge, and Luna just appreciated someone listening to her. They were so happy. </p><p>	Suddenly, my happy reality was shattered. Ron came bursting into the store one day. </p><p>	“Hey, Ron,” I said cheerfully. “What can I do for you?”</p><p>	“I’m not here for pleasure. Dumbledore’s dead.” I gasped and stumbled backwards.</p><p>	“What do you mean he’s dead? What happened?”</p><p>	“Some Death Eaters broke into the school with Draco’s help, that slimy git. Snape killed him and disappeared.” </p><p>“Oh my God. Let me get Fred.” I turned and bumped into someone.</p><p>“Get me for what?” Fred smiled down at me. Ron recounted his story, and Fred’s face fell. </p><p>“Snape finally showed his true colors, huh? Can’t say I’m surprised.” </p><p>“Fred, what are we going to do?”</p><p>“Do? Not much we can do. If there’s a fight, we’ll fight. Until then, we try to keep the shop open.” He seemed calm, and that helped calm me. Ron nodded.</p><p>“I’ll keep you all updated,” he said, and turned from the shop. Fred smiled encouragingly at me and kissed me quickly. I tried to smile back up at him. He squeezed my hand and turned to take care of some customers. I shook my head briefly, trying to control my thoughts. Dumbledore was dead. A war was coming, that I knew, but when? Fred was right, there wasn’t much we could do. I put on my “customer service” smile and went to explain how Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder worked.</p>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Trust Me, I Know</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	I tried to stay calm for Lillian’s benefit, but I dreaded the day when we would be called to the castle to fight. Lillian had started having us practice spells in the evening when the shop was closed. She taught us mostly defensive spells, but our stunning skills grew quickly as well. One day she began the lessons with a more serious face than usual.</p><p>	“I want to teach you how to conjure a Patronus,” she said calmly. “Watch carefully. Expecto Patronum!” I watched as she brandished her wand and created a stunning horse out of blue light. It galloped around the room before fading.</p><p>	“Bloody hell,” said George quietly. “Your girlfriend is wicked, Fred.” I smirked.</p><p>	“Trust me, I know.” Lillian smiled a bit but went back to teacher mode quickly.</p><p>	“To correctly conjure a Patronus, you have to focus on your happiest memory. It could be anything, but it has to be strong. For example, the first time I did it, I thought of when I first met Beatrix. Now, I think of the day I bandaged Fred’s hand.” She blushed slightly.</p><p>	“Okay, who wants to go first?” George pulled out his wand.</p><p>	“I’ll try,” he said eagerly. “Expecto Patronum!” His wand glowed blue for a moment, but no animal appeared.</p><p>	“Good try, George. Try to think of a stronger memory.” He nodded. </p><p>	“Expecto Patronum!” It took him three more tries, but finally a glowing magpie appeared and flew around the room.</p><p>	“Brilliant, George!” Lillian clapped her hand. “Alright, Fred, you’re up.” I stood nervously, pulling out my wand. I searched my memory, trying to find the time when I was happiest. I opened my eyes and nodded slightly.</p><p>	“Expecto Patronum!” I said loudly. A luminescent eagle swooped around the room.</p><p>	“Freddie! That was incredible!” Lillian hugged me. </p><p>	“Thanks, Birdy.”</p><p>	“Alright, let’s do it again.” We drilled for another hour, on our Patronuses and other spells. That evening, Lillian lay down next to me.</p><p>	“Freddy, if you don’t mind me asking, what memory did you use?”</p><p>	“Of course I don’t mind. I thought about me and George’s first day at Hogwarts when we got sorted into Gryffindor.”</p><p>	“Oh,” she said quietly. “That must be a great memory.” I laughed.</p><p>	“I’m kidding, Birdy. Obviously it’s you.” She punched me in the arm.</p><p>	“You’re such a git,” she said, giggling.</p><p>	“I know, I know. I learned it from George. Do you want to know the real memory?” She nodded happily.</p><p>	“It was when you first started letting me talk to you. You were walking to Care of Magical Creatures, and I suppose you didn’t realize I was behind you. And you started singing. I believe it was a lullaby or something like that. It’s when I started calling you Birdy, do you remember?”</p><p>	“I remember. I wanted to be annoyed by the name but it was so sweet, and I knew you weren’t trying to make fun of me.”</p><p>	“If I ever make fun of you and I’m serious, feel free to hex me.” She laughed.</p><p>	“I’ll keep that in mind.”</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. I Need You To Be Safe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	We fell into a routine. Wake up, see if there’s any news, run the shop, check for news again, practice spells, sleep. The boys were doing really well with the spells, but I was worried anyway. The Death Eaters were all highly-trained wizards who’d been practicing magic since before we were born. I rarely let Fred out of my sight, which he was fine with. He wanted to stay with me too. Ron had gone looking for Horcruxes with Harry and Hermione, so Beatrix brought us updates. They were always bad. More and more students went home, which meant our army was shrinking. </p><p>	Beatrix came to the shop one day, and I knew from her face that something big was happening.</p><p>	“It’s almost time,” she said grimly. “Harry’s on his way back. Apparently the last Horcruxes are at Hogwarts. Mcgonagall has asked that I bring you and the boys to the castle to prepare for the fight.” I nodded. We had packed bags weeks ago. </p><p>	“I’ll be right there.” I went and grabbed Fred’s hand.</p><p>	“It’s time,” I whispered. He looked over at Beatrix and then looked back at me.</p><p>	“Alright, I’ll get the bags. Can you find George?” I nodded and we split, Fred heading to the stairs and I to the check-out. </p><p>	“George, it’s time to go. Beatrix can explain on the way.” He looked up and moved towards the door, trying for a smile when he saw Beatrix. She hugged him tightly. Fred appeared back downstairs holding three duffel bags.</p><p>	“Hey lovely folks, we’ve had a sudden interruption and we’ll be closing early today. Very sorry for the inconvenience.” People began filing out the door, and I moved towards Fred, taking one of the bags from him.</p><p>	“Ready to go back to school, Freddie?” I asked. He grabbed my hand, and we started back to Hogwarts.</p><p>	We had only been there for a few days when Mad-Eye Moody showed up. He limped into the castle, his eye moving wildly. When he saw Fred and I, he moved towards us with purpose.</p><p>	“Hello, Mr. Weasley, Miss Adler. I’m afraid I’m not here for pleasure. Where’s the other one?” He gestured at Fred.</p><p>	“George? He’s right over there.” Fred pointed, somewhat amused. Moody beckoned George, who came and plopped next to me. </p><p>	“Now listen, I’m sure you know about the war. We need to move Harry somewhere safe. Tonight. And we’ve got a plan that involves a few other people who we can trust. Will you help?”</p><p>	“What do we do?” said Fred immediately.</p><p>	“Polyjuice potion. You’re all going to turn into Harry, confusing the Death Eaters and giving us a better chance.” He looked between the three of us.</p><p>	“Of course we’ll help, sir,” I said. Fred looked at me.</p><p>	“Wait a minute. George and I will go, but there’s no way I’m letting you risk your life like this.”</p><p>	“Fred, you can’t expect me to just sit around while you’re out in danger. If you’re doing it, I’m doing it.”</p><p>	“No!” Fred started to say, but Moody cut him off.</p><p>	“The girl has agreed, Mr. Weasley. Your private lives are your own, but you cannot make this decision for her.” Fred looked at me imploringly.</p><p>	“Please, Birdy. I need you to be safe.”</p><p>	“And I need you to be safe, but you don’t see me insisting that you can’t do something good. I want to help! This thing, this war, is bigger than you and me. It’s bigger than all of us. We have a chance to help save the Wizarding World, and to help save Harry. Our friend. So yes, I’m doing it.” I saw Fred’s shoulders slump a bit.</p><p>	“You’re right. Of course you’re right. But Moody, is there anyone we could be together on this mission. At least within eyesight?”</p><p>	“From what I hear, Miss Adler is a pretty good witch. Every Harry will be partnered with someone to protect them, and I don’t see why you can’t be partnered with her.” I sighed in relief, and saw Fred do the same. George had been silent throughout the interaction, but he spoke then.</p><p>	“I’ll help too. Whatever you need.” He looked grim. Moody nodded.</p><p>	“Alright then, if you would all just place your hands on mine, I’ll get us where we need to go.” We did as he said, and were snapped into a suburb. The street sign said Privet Drive. An odd group of people awaited us, including Lupin and Tonks. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw them, as Tonks was a good friend of mine. I wanted to talk to her, but Moody was all business. We went into a house, where we found Harry and Hedwig. As Moody explained the plan, Harry protested. I knew he would. Moody got him more or less on board, and we were ready. Fred got the potion first.</p><p>	“If you aren’t familiar with the potion, be careful. It tastes like goblin piss,” Moody said.</p><p>	“Have lots of experience with that, do you Moody?” replied Fred. Moody glared. “Just trying to lighten the tension.” He took a gulp from the flask and handed it to George. I watched as he shrank, and began to morph into Harry. When he was done, he turned to me.</p><p>	“Still love me even though I look like a slimy, specky git?” I punched him in the arm.</p><p>	“We’ll see.” He laughed. Moody handed out clothes, and everyone changed until they all looked exactly like Harry. We went outside, and I climbed onto a Thestral, followed by Fred. Moody signaled, and we were off. </p><p>	The Death Eaters were on us right away. Fred pulled out his wand and exchanged spells with some of them, but our main concern was getting to the Burrow. There was no way we’d take out enough of them. I urged the Thestral onward, and it soared upwards. I heard curses and saw bursts of light behind me, but I didn’t dare turn around, As long as I could feel Fred’s arms around my waist, there was nothing back there worth looking at.</p><p>	We made it to the Burrow second, after Harry. Mrs. Weasley hugged both us us, and Lupin did the same after making sure we weren’t impostors. By making sure, I mean he pointed his wand at us and asked us which of the Marauders he and Sirius were.</p><p>	Several nerve-wracking moments later, Tonks and Ron arrived, along with Bill and Fleur. I could see Fred getting more nervous.</p><p>	“He’ll be alright,” I said, taking his hand. As if on cue, we heard shouting outside. Mr. Weasley had an unconscious and bleeding George, and was hauling him across the yard. Harry ran and helped pull him into the house, and they put him on the couch. Fred dropped his wand and knelt. I moved behind him, not saying anything but gently putting my hand on his shoulder to let him know I was there. George’s face was bloody, and upon looking closer I saw that his ear was gone. I gasped a little bit. Mrs. Weasley stroked George’s forehead, pushing his bloody hair away from his face.</p><p>	“How’re you feeling, Georgie?” asked Fred quietly. George said nothing for a moment, and I felt a tear trace down my face.</p><p>	“Saint-like,” he mumbled. Fred knit his brows.</p><p>	“Come again?”</p><p>	“Saint-like,” he repeated in a stronger voice. “I’m holy. I’m holy, Fred. Get it?” He smiled and weakly pointed to his ear. I felt Fred relax a bit.</p><p>	“The whole wide world of ear-related humor, and you go for I’m holy? That’s pathetic.” </p><p>	“Reckon I’m still better looking than you.” The tension in the room lessened for a moment. I squeezed Fred’s shoulder, and he smiled at me for a moment. Then Bill stepped forward.</p><p>	“Mad-Eye’s dead,” he said in a grave voice. “Mundungus abandoned him, the bloody coward.” Fred lowered his head for a moment, then got to his feet.</p><p>	“He died a hero. He died so that we could live and defeat Voldemort. And that’s what we’ll do. We’ll do it for him.” Fred looked around the room, scanning everyone’s faces. I grabbed his hand, and he pulled me into a hug.</p><p>	It was the safest I had felt all day.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. The Only Place</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	George recovered just fine, to my relief. We had gotten off lucky only losing Moody. The mood at the Burrow was still somber, though, even in preparation for Bill and Fleur’s wedding. Lillian hardly left my side, and the only time she did was to help Fleur with wedding plans. Bill liked Lillian, as almost everyone did, and he especially liked that she was so willing to spend long periods of time talking about wedding planning. Don’t get me wrong, Bill loved Fleur, but he didn’t love parties. The chance of getting away from questions about what color streamer would be best was precious to him.</p><p>	Lillian, on the other hand, loved planning things. She liked to organize and research and compare things. Fleur was more on the spontaneous side, so Lillian’s diligence helped ground her. They were good friends soon, which I took as a good thing. I always pictured myself marrying Lillian, which meant that she and Fleur would be family. </p><p>	The wedding was lovely. Bill and Fleur were married in a large white tent in the backyard of the Burrow. It sounds unsophisticated, but they were so pleased with it. Luna and Beatrix were in attendance, and Merlin if they weren’t both glowing with happiness. </p><p>	As usual, something had to ruin it. A giant glowing blue orb blasted into the tent and hovered over the ground. </p><p>	“The Ministry has fallen,” said a ghostly voice. “The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming.” It echoed in the silence that had taken over the tent, then disappeared.<br/>	Chaos broke out. People yelled, ran, disapparated. Death Eaters emerged in the crows, and the lamps lit on fire. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione disappear. Lillian and I both pulled out our wands and began dueling, but we were quickly overrun. I grabbed her hand and disapparated. We appeared in Hogwarts.</p><p>	“Fred, how did they know?” I shook my head. </p><p>	“I don’t know, there must be a spy or something. Come on, let’s find a place to stay. We have to be ready for…” I faltered. What were we preparing for? Three seventeen-year-olds to save us. It sounded so stupid when I though about it. Lillian grabbed my hand. She lifted her head up, a look of defiance on her face.</p><p>	“We have to be ready for Voldemort. We have to be ready to beat him.” I nodded, and we walked to Ravenclaw tower. I lay with her, holding her, as I always did. This was the only place where Voldemort did not exist, where there was no war. This was the place where we were just people, just children in love.</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Always</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	Harry was finally back. Neville had stepped up, leading us and retrieving Harry from Aberforth’s house. Almost immediately, the entire Weasley family, Hermione, and the rest of our allies were gathered and ready to confront Snape. Harry went first<br/>
.<br/>
“It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, that you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster. And I’m afraid it’s quite extensive.” We entered the Great Hall, me just behind Fleur. Fred looked proud and defiant, his head held high, his hand clasping mine. I followed his example, staring down Snape. Snape, the man I had once trusted, the man who had taught me what I know about Potions. The man who had killed Dumbledore.</p><p>	“How dare you stand where he stood. Tell them how it happened that night. Tell them how you looked him in the eye and killed him. Tell them.” Harry’s voice was strong, not wavering once. Snape drew his wand, and everyone gasped. Suddenly, Harry was pushed out of the way.</p><p>	McGonagall sent a curse at Snape from her position in front of Harry. I pulled out my wand as well, pointing it straight forward. Everyone around me did the same. I saw Beatrix in the crowd of students. She turned and looked at me, then at Luna. I watched as she pulled her wand and aimed a curse at Snape while he was busy with McGonagall. Before she could speak, one of the Caros sent a spell her way with a flick of her hand, and she fell.</p><p>	“No!” Luna and I yelled together. Luna rushed forward, but Mrs. Weasley pulled her back, whispering something in her ear. A tear fell down Luna’s face. Snape disappeared out the window in a cloud of black smoke. Students cheered all around us, and Luna and I were permitted to go check on Beatrix.</p><p>	“She’s only been stunned,” said Luna breathily. I sighed in relief. Beatrix came to after a bit, and upon checking that she was okay, I hugged her and went back to Fred, leaving Luna and Beatrix to reunite in relative peace. Just as I reached Fred, a voice hissed out Harry’s name. Then we heard a scream. Then another. It reminded me of the Cruciatus curse, and I shivered. The voice hissed again, and I leaned into Fred, who put his arm around me and pulled me to him.</p><p>	“I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you may even think that to fight is wise. But this is folly. Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give him to me, and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have one hour.” The voice echoed around the Great Hall. Everyone turned to Harry. People began to shout, Slytherins calling for Harry to be turned over. A group of students, and our allies, gathered around Harry. Filch broke the silence.</p><p>	“Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!” He looked panicked.</p><p>	“They are supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!” McGonagall said in exasperation. He looked bashful, and began to turn, but she called and asked him to escort the Slytherins to the dungeon. Everyone cheered (except the Slytherins.) </p><p>	Harry left to do, well, whatever he was going to do, leaving Neville in charge. I saw Luna run after Harry, but the rest of us followed Neville and McGonagall. Apparently, he and Seamus Finnigan were going to blow stuff up. It sounded like their wheelhouse, in all honesty. They ran off, and Fred and I were left standing in the courtyard. McGonagall enchanted the statues, and they marched past us on their way to the boundaries. We watched as the professors cast protections around Hogwarts. McGonagall approached us. </p><p>	“I’ve got a task for you three.” She gestured at George and us. “I understand you have a proclivity for Potions, Miss Adler, and you boys have a talent for mischief. I want to you go to Professor Slughorn’s classroom and cook up the most destructive potions you can. Anything you can think of.” George snickered. I kicked him the the shin.</p><p>	“Of course, we’ll get right to it.” I turned and began to head to the dungeon, still holding Fred’s hand.</p><p>	“You know, I always thought our destructive streak would come in handy. I guess today’s the day,” said Fred excitedly. Suddenly, the ground shook beneath us. </p><p>	“Get down!” I yelled. I dropped to the ground, and felt Fred pull my head under his and wrap his arms around me. The shaking continued for a few seconds, then stopped as quickly as it had started. I looked up slowly. The magic barrier was damaged.</p><p>	“Come on,” I said, getting to my feet. “We’re running out of time.” We practically sprinted the rest of the way, dropping every now and then when Voldemort’s army sent another volley of spells at us. When we finally made it, I wasted no time.</p><p>	“Okay, okay, let me think,” I muttered, grabbing a cauldron and trying to think of what to make. “What would cause the most damage, but still be controlled?”</p><p>	“What about an exploding potion of some sort? We could put it in glass bottles and throw them.” Fred was behind me, looking at me with the most serious face I’d ever seen.</p><p>	“Good, good. That sounds simple enough. Why don’t you and George do that and I’ll make confusion potion?”</p><p>	“Um, that sounds great and all, but we don’t know how to make exploding potions?” George sat down in one of the desk across from me.</p><p>	“Oh. Right. Fred, grab a textbook from the closet and look through the table of contents until you see the Crepitus Potion. Just follow all the direction until the last one, and I’ll handle that. Oh, and multiply all the amounts by ten, we’re gonna need a lot.” Fred nodded and ran towards the closet while I focused on the Confundus Elixir. It was basic enough, but I hadn’t made it before. I shook the thoughts of what could go wrong from my head. This would go well. It had to.</p><p>	I worked for about fifteen minutes before coming up with an acceptable elixir. I bottled it in small portions until I had collected about 300 tiny bottles that would seriously confuse their targets for about an hour. All we had to do was smash the vials, and the enemy would be incapacitated.</p><p>	Fred and George had made good progress too. The potion was meant to be set alight, and would turn into a mass explosion, but I had other plans. The final step involved adding a bit of moth wing, but I added frog toe and adder’s fork instead to mobilize it. I quickly bottled that too, and we had another 300 tiny weapons. </p><p>	“That’s about it, then. Would you grab all the Potioner’s knives, George? May as well take them for good measure.” He collected them and divided them among the bags I had found, and we carefully packed the potions as well, 150 of each in both of the bags.</p><p>	“Let’s get back to the courtyard and hope all hell hasn’t broken loose.” We walked quickly back to the Great Hall, where all hell had indeed broken loose. There were Death Eaters and Dementors engaged in battles with students all around us. I pulled out a handful of knives and stowed them around my person, then handed one of the bags to George, the other to Fred.</p><p>	“You two are in charge of distributing knives and potions. I’m headed to Ravenclaw tower, it’s the territory I know best. You stick together, I’ll see you after the battle.” I tried for a reassuring smile.</p><p>	“You’re mad if you think you’re going off without me.” </p><p>	“Freddie, you need to hand out the weapons. I’ll be fine.”</p><p>	“There’s two sides of the castle, isn’t there? Ravenclaw tower is on one side, and George will go to the other. I’ll stay with you.” Fred looked almost desperate. I glanced between the twins.</p><p>	“George, will you be alright by yourself? I’d feel better if you were with Fred.” George nodded.</p><p>	“I’ll be fine, Adler. All your spell classes have made me invincible.” He gave me the same grin he always did, but I saw a trace of fear in his face. I hugged him, hard.</p><p>	“I believe in you, George. You’re a great wizard. I’ll see you after the battle, alright? After this, we’ll deserve some drinks.” He smiled again.</p><p>	“Only if you’re buying.” He turned to his brother. “You okay, Freddie?”</p><p>	“Always,” said Fred with a grin.</p><p>	“Me too,” replied George before running off. Fred pulled out his wand. I did the same.</p><p>	“Let’s go save the wizarding world, Birdy.”</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. She's Gone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not gonna lie, I definitely cried while writing this.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	The ground shook as we ran. The Quidditch pitch was on fire. Hexes and spells flew around us, and we could hear screams as people fell, both friends and foes. We occasionally stopped to help someone who was being overrun, or to hand knives and potions out, but our main concern was getting to Ravenclaw tower. It was a central point in Hogwarts, and losing it would be giving up a major stronghold. I thought we were making good time, but Lillian suddenly skidded to a halt.</p><p>	“What’s wrong? What happened?” I grabbed her shoulder and quickly scanned her for injury, but she seemed fine. Without a word, she ran off to the side. A curse flew over her head, but she didn’t slow down. I chased after her, yelling at her to be careful, but she was set on doing whatever she was doing. When we got a bit closer, I understood. Beatrix was lying on the ground, unmoving. Lillian fell to her knees beside her and checked for a pulse. I stood behind her and covered, blocking any wayward spells. I only looked down when I heard the sob. Lillian was shaking, tears dripping down her face.</p><p>	“Hey, hey, it’s okay, it’s okay,” I tried to comfort her, pulling her into a hug. She cried into my chest.</p><p>	“She’s gone,” I heard her say, her voice muffled. A new round of sobs wracked her body.</p><p>	“I’m so sorry, Birdy. I’m so sorry, but we have to go.” There was pain in my voice. I felt awful taking her away from her friend, but we were going to die too if we stayed here. She was still shaking from tears, but I got to my feet and pulled her up with me.</p><p>	“Come on, Birdy, we’ve got to go. I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say. She took a shaky breath and we started running again. We didn’t stop again until we reached Ravenclaw tower yet. No one had gotten there except us. Lillian sat down gently on the window seat. I expected her to cry, yell, anything to let out her grief, but she sat motionless. </p><p>	“How many people are going to die here today, Fred? How many lives lost for a war over a boy who couldn’t seem to be killed? How many people will lose the ones they love and their friends and their family?” I sat down next to her and took her hand.</p><p>	“Birdy, we knew what we signed up for. This is the hard path, I know, but it’s the right one. We’re fighting for the right side. Beatrix gave her life fighting for good. That has to be worth something.”</p><p>	“God, I’m being so morbid. I just… I lost her, and I can’t lose you too, okay? I can’t lose you.” She stood suddenly. “We’d better get ready. I can hear them coming.”</p><p>	“Wait,” I said suddenly. “I need to ask you something.”</p><p>	“Anything, Freddie.” </p><p>	“I love you, Birdy. I’m in love with you. I love you more than anything. I don’t have a ring, but… Lillian Adler, will you marry me?” She didn’t even hesitate to throw her arms around my neck.</p><p>	“I will marry you, Fred Weasley. I love you so, so much.” I kissed her, trying to memorize exactly how her lips felt on mine. We broke away, and turned towards the door together, wands in hand. </p><p>	Even with all the danger we were in, even with all that we had lost, I couldn’t seem to stop smiling.</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Worst Pain of Their Lives</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	The next events were a blur. I don’t know if it was minutes or hours before we had support. Fred and I cast spell after spell, protecting each other and moving in a sort of dance. I went on autopilot, not exactly conscious of what I was doing. I just knew that I could not and would not lose Fred. </p><p>	Other students came eventually and helped us. Together we protected Ravenclaw tower. I dared to be hopeful. We were doing well, maybe we could win. Suddenly, Voldemort’s voice filled my head. </p><p>	“You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman, and child who tries to conceal you from me.” I shivered. His voice stayed with me, echoing around my skull. I turned and looked around me, seeing the fallen and the living blur as I fell unconscious. </p><p>	When I came to, I was laying on a pallet on the ground in the ruins of the Great Hall. I sat up gently, my head spinning. There were wounded and dead all around me, grieving friends hunched over them. I felt bad taking up a pallet when I was really fine, just tired. I got to my feet and made my way gingerly over to Mrs. Weasley. When I got there, I gasped. George was laying on one of the pallets, unmoving. I looked at his mother.</p><p>	“Is he…” I couldn’t say it. She nodded before breaking down into tears. I hugged her, letting her sob into my shoulder. Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Great Hall just then. Ron saw us immediately. He ran over, and Fred pulled him into a hug. Together they knelt over their brother’s body. Mrs. Weasley lifted her head. I looked around, trying to identify the dead. I saw Lupin and Tonks, dead, their hands almost touching. I saw Parvati put a shroud over her sister. Fred left his brother’s side and pulled me into a hug. I felt his tears wet my sleeve. </p><p>We stood together, watching people we loved experience the worst pain of their lives.</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Tell Us Apart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I just ripped my own heart in half. Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	I felt numb. I watched my mother sob into Lillian’s shoulder, as I knelt over the body of my twin, my best friend, the person who understood me best. Lillian looked shocked. She didn’t cry, she didn’t yell, she just stared as she allowed my mother to let out her grief. There was a hole in my chest that was eating away at me. I stood and put my arms around Lillian, hoping that she could mend the pain inside my heart. I let myself cry for the first time, pouring out my pain into the hug. She shook a bit as we held each other, and I realized she was crying too. I could have stayed there for hours, but we heard a noise from the courtyard. Neville was out there, and he was quickly being approached by Voldemort and his army. We ran outside.</p><p>	“Harry Potter is dead!” he yelled triumphantly. Ginny screamed, trying to reach Harry, lifeless in Hagrid’s arms. Mr. Weasley pulled her back. I leaned on Lillian.</p><p>	“Stupid girl! Harry Potter is dead. From this day forth, you put your faith in me.” He turned to his army. </p><p>“Harry Potter is dead!” They laughed and cheered. These people stood and laughed at a dead child. Voldemort spread his arms wide.</p><p>“Now is the time to declare yourself. Come forward and join us! Or die.” No one moved. Malfoy’s father hissed at him and beckoned him to come forward. His mother joined. After a moment’s hesitation, he obeyed. I saw him flinch as he approached Voldemort. He was just a boy, he had no choice. I had never liked Malfoy, but at that moment I understood him. He was just another child who was born to fight.</p><p>There was another moment of silence. I was proud. We would die before giving in. But then, Neville began to limp forward, clutching the Sorting Hat. The army laughed cruelly.</p><p>“Who might you be, young man?” Voldemort said smoothly.</p><p>“Neville Longbottom.” The crows laughed again, Bellatrix loudest of them all. </p><p>“I’d like to say something,” said Neville loudly. “It doesn’t matter that Harry’s gone. People die every day. Friends, family. We lost Harry tonight. He’s still with us, in here,” he pointed to his heart. “So is George, and Remus, and Tonks. They didn’t die in vain, but you will. Because you’re wrong. Harry’s heart did beat for us. For all of us! It’s not over.” He pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from the hat. I smiled. Neville had grown from the little boy who had lost his toad. He was strong, and he was brave. He was a Gryffindor.<br/>

Before I could fully process what had happened, Harry threw himself out of Hagrid’s arms. The cruel grin faded from Voldemort’s face. Harry cast a spell and hit the snake, but also a crowd of people behind him. They scattered. I looked up over my shoulder, trying to see George’s reaction. For the first time, there was no one there. I grabbed Lillian’s hand, pulling my thoughts back to the present. I knew I had to grieve, but that needed to wait. We could deal with pain later. </p><p>Voldemort sent spells after Harry, blowing up his path. Death Eaters yelled and disappeared in dark mist. We ran into the castle, pursued by the army. Neville tried to run forward with the sword but was thrown back with a flick of a wand. I caught a glimpse of the Malfoy family walking away, away from the life they had inadvertently created for their son.<br/>

Lillian and I were once again surrounded by enemies, but this time there were friends as well. Harry went off to fight Voldemort, and we held off his army. I saw Bellatrix dueling Mrs. Weasley. At first I feared the I would lose a mother too, but she held her ground and Bellatrix died in a cloud of dust. A blinding light appeared from the courtyard. Neville surged forward and killed the snake with one blow. Both Harry and Voldemort fell to their knees.</p><p>They engaged in a final duel, red light clashing with green. I could see Voldemort weakening. His wand flew from his hands. He began to fade, to crumble. The Dark Lord was reduced to dust.</p><p>We set up a makeshift infirmary in the ruins of the castle. Lillian salvaged what she could and started making healing potions while the rest of us did our best with spells. We had lost quite a few people. It took a long time to sort out the dead for their families. Lillian tried but she couldn’t bring herself to move the bodies, especially after she had to tell Luna that Beatrix was dead. </p><p>Once we had gotten the wounded home and alerted all the families’ of their deceased, I had to face George’s funeral. We buried him in the yard of the Burrow, where he and I used to play Quidditch. Lillian, Harry, Fleur, and Hermione came, but other than that it was all family. Aberforth performed the ceremony. It was small and modest, but I knew that it was how George would have wanted it. I held it together for most of the funeral.</p><p>“At least you can tell us apart now, Mum,” I said as they lowered the casket. That was when I lost it. Lillian didn’t hold my hand until I grabbed hers. I knew that she was trying not to cross any lines, but I really needed her. Watching my brother disappear into the earth, the thought of never pulling a prank with him again, I couldn’t do it alone. After the ceremony, we had a somber dinner in the Burrow. We finished eating, and I tugged Lillian’s hand. She followed me upstairs. There was a third floor of our house, an unrenovated room that held my dad’s Muggle stuff.</p><p>“George and I, we used to come up here. We would plan our pranks and jokes, or just get away for a bit. He was my best friend. I can’t believe he’s,” I trailed off, the lump in my throat cutting off my speech. Lillian pulled me into a hug. I leaned my head on her shoulder and she held me in the same way I always held her, comforting me silently. I realized then that she had lost Beatrix and I hadn’t said a thing.</p><p>“Lillian, I’m sorry about Beatrix.” She shushed me.</p><p>“It’s okay. I made peace with that. Fred, don’t worry about me right now. You need to grieve or you’ll never let yourself be happy.” I nodded and put my head back down. We sat like that for a long, long time.</p>
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<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Merlin, Freddie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Most of this chapter is super self-indulgent, but I hope you like it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lillian’s POV</p><p> </p><p>	It took Fred a long time to feel like himself again, but he never slipped away form me like I had heard about others doing. He was there, he was still my Fred, but seemed quieter. I knew he was just grieving, and I tried to give him space. Sometimes he wanted it, sometimes he wanted to be close to me. I let him decide how the day would go.</p><p>	He recovered, bit by bit, until he was just the same as before. Only then did I broach the subject of a wedding. </p><p>	“Freddie, I don’t want to… I don’t know how to say this.”</p><p>	“Ask me anything, Birdy,” he said with a grin.</p><p>	“I’m very anxious to marry you, Mr. Weasley.” He raised his eyebrows.</p><p>	“Oh, are you, Miss Adler? I think that could be arranged.” I giggled as he pulled me into his lap and kissed me.</p><p>	“Are you sure? If you need time or anything, we don’t have to..” He cut me off with another kiss.</p><p>	“I will marry you at any time, Lillian Adler.” I smiled at him.</p><p>	“Alright, then. I’m sure Fleur will want to help with plans.” His eyes widened. I laughed.</p><p>	“I’m partially kidding, Freddie. But I’m sure she would really love to help.” </p><p>	“Whatever you want, Birdy.” I hopped off his lap.</p><p>	“I need to make some calls, and I think that you, sir, should go tell your mother. She will murder you if she’s not the first one to know.”</p><p>	“You’re right as usual, Birdy.” He kissed me again and walked off into the kitchen. I spun in a circle excitedly and grabbed my phone.</p><p>	Several very loud and excited phone calls later, Fleur, Ginny, and Hermione had apparated to the Burrow and assaulted me with hugs. </p><p>	“This is so exciting! I can’t believe it!” Exclamations of happiness echoed across the room. We set to working on plans right away, debating dates and colors and flowers and dresses. Eventually, we settled on a winter wedding (which I had always wanted) with a dark green color scheme. It would happen on November 25. </p><p>	The next few months were consumed by wedding plans. Hermione and Ginny were almost always present, with Fleur popping in when she could. It was much more fun than I thought it would be, but I couldn’t help but fell the loss of Beatrix when I was with the three women. I wasn’t lying when I told Fred that I had made peace with her death, but I still missed her often. Every time I felt her loss too greatly, though, someone pulled me back to the present and restored my spirits.</p><p>	My dress was absolutely incredible. It was a basic style, with a skintight bodice flowing down into a loose skirt. It had an illusion neckline, see-through lace up to my collarbones and moving down my arms into tight sleeves. The lace covered the whole dress in an elaborate pattern, but my favorite part was the cloak. My gown wasn’t particularly warm, so I picked out a fitted creamy cloak with a fur-lined hood. With silver accessories and a white bouquet, I felt like some sort of snow fairy. I was sure Fred would love it. </p><p>	The bridesmaids’ dresses were pine green, and the ceremony was held in a forest. It wasn’t a particularly large wedding, but it was perfect for Fred and I. It had snowed, like we were hoping, so small flakes stuck to my hair and eyelashes as I walked down the aisle. I swear Fred’s jaw almost hit the floor when he saw me. The rings were simple silver bands. I didn’t want anything fancy. I had never been much of a jewelry person, so a small ring was fine with me.</p><p>	We danced for hours after the ceremony. There was laughter and talking and happiness. It reminded me of the Yule Ball a bit. I don’t think there was a point in the evening where I didn’t smile.</p><p>	Afterwards, when most of the guest had gone home, Fred pulled me to the side.</p><p>	“I’ve got a surprise for you, Birdy. Are you ready?” There was a mischievous glint in his eye. I nodded. He grabbed my hand, and we apparated to a place I had never seen before. In front of us was a small white cottage with a chimney and a yard full of flowers. It looked like a fairytale house, with a shingled roof that curved a bit.</p><p>	“Where are we, Fred?” I asked, confused. </p><p>	“We’re home, Birdy. This is our new home.” I whipped my head around.</p><p>	“This house is ours?” He nodded, smiling. I threw my arms around his neck.</p><p>	“Merlin, Freddie. You bought us a house!” </p><p>	“That I did, love. Would you like to go inside?” I nodded hard, almost shocked. The house had a little yellow door with a knocker. I gasped as I went inside. The door led to an entryway and into the living room, which was already furnished. It reminded me a bit of my dorm room in Ravenclaw tower, with a large bookshelf and a window seat. There was also a light blue couch and a matching armchair. We went on through the house into the kitchen, which was decorated in blue like the living room. I looked around and saw an apothecary’s cabinet, stocked full of supplies.</p><p>	“Fred! It’s incredible!” I was almost speechless.</p><p>	“Wait til you see the rest, love,” he said with a smirk. We moved on into a small bathroom with a lovely bathtub. That room connected to the master bedroom, which had another small bookshelf in it. There were large windows, and the whole room was decorated in blue and light purple. I looked around in shock. Fred watched me, amused. </p><p>	“There’s a bit left, Birdy,” he said, putting his arm around me and pulling me forward. The last rooms were Jack and Jill style, connected by a bathroom. There were furnished, but not fully.</p><p>	“Just in case we add to the family,” said Fred quietly. I turned and kissed him.</p><p>	“It’s amazing, Freddie. Did you do this yourself?”</p><p>	“Surprisingly, I did most of it. My parents helped a bit with the paperwork, and George…” He swallowed hard. “George helped me with the idea in its early stages. He loved you a lot, Birdy. He really wanted us to be happy.” I took his hand.</p><p>	“I know he did, Fred. He wanted that because he was good. He was one of the best people I’ve ever known.” Fred nodded and hugged me. </p><p>	“I figure I’ll be doing most of the gardening, huh?” I laughed and hit him gently.</p><p>	“You most definitely will.” He smiled and kissed me again.</p><p>	“I love you, Lillian Weasley.”</p><p>	“I love you, Freddie.”</p>
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<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Reminiscing</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>FINAL CHAPTER! This is the first really long fic I've written, and I had a lot of fun. I want to thank everyone for reading it, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love you all, stay safe &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fred’s POV</p>
<p> </p>
<p>	The next years were happy. I kept the joke shop open, which was painful at first. As time went on, though, I realized that wasn’t doing it despite George, I was doing it for George. The shop was his dream, his legacy, and by running it I was fulfilling what George would have wanted. </p>
<p>	Lillian had a small apothecary where she brewed and sold potions. She was happy doing it, and it allowed her to teach the kids about Potions and Charms from home. We had two wonderful children, a boy and a girl, both with bright orange hair and a lot of energy. They were two years apart. George Alastor Weasley was the youngest, a freckle-faced boy who never sat still. Aderyn Beatrix Weasley, who refused to go by Addie, had bright blue eyes, ghostly pale skin, and a head full of wit and ideas. She took after her mother, her time taken up with books while her brother played in the yard. We had pets too, a great brown dog named Bear and a rabbit that Aderyn got for her eighth birthday. She called the rabbit Anne, named for Anne of Green Gables. </p>
<p>	We had a happy life there. Our little home was full of laughter and light. We weren’t rich, but we weren’t poor. The joke shop and Lillian’s potions brought in enough to afford vacations here and there, and Santa was always kind to the children. Before I knew it, Aderyn was eleven and we were headed to King’s Cross. She had been talking about it for weeks, packing and repacking her trunk. We got her an owl to take along with Anne, so she could send and receive mail. Lillian had made sure that she had everything while we were shopping. As they talked about robes, George and I snuck away and bought ice cream for all of us. </p>
<p>	When we made it to King’s Cross, Aderyn could hardly wait to get on the train.</p>
<p>	“Honestly, it’s like you want to be away from us,” I teased as I unloaded her trunk.</p>
<p>	“Of course I’ll miss you, Dad, but think of everything I can do there! Think of all the books! And Quidditch!” Both of our children were avid Quidditch fans.</p>
<p>	“You definitely take after your mother.”</p>
<p>	“You’re right about that one,” said Lillian, straightening Aderyn’s hair and giving her a hug. “I love you, sweetie. I know you’ll have fun.” We bade our good-byes and watched as she boarded the train. Lillian looked almost wistful.</p>
<p>	“You alright, Birdy?” I asked gently, putting the arm that wasn’t holding George around her.</p>
<p>	“I’m alright. Just reminiscing.” She smiled up at me. We waved as the train left, chugging along to Hogwarts. When we got home, the house seemed a little bigger than it had that morning. George was loud enough for both of the kids, though, so there wasn’t a lack of entertainment. Lillian and I tucked him in and went to bed ourselves. As she was falling asleep, I heard Lillian mumble something.</p>
<p>	“Do you think she’ll fall in love there too?” I smiled. </p>
<p>	“I hope so,” I said softly. </p>
<p>	“I love you, Freddie.”</p>
<p>	“I love you, Birdy.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kudos and Comments are appreciated!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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